Prague, Czech Republic

Two of the most popular cities to visit in the Czech Republic are Prague and the medieval town of Cesky Krumlov. Also worth noting… Czechs are the biggest beer drinkers in the world per capita (by a lot!) and buying a beer is actually cheaper than water!

Accommodation

Prague’s city is divided into numbered categories such as Prague 1, Prague 2, Prague 3 etc. Although the numbers run higher, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the higher the number, the further you are away from the centre.

The most popular area to stay in whilst visiting Prague is in Prague 1 as that’s where the main attractions are. Prague is easy to get around to everything by walking or tram and the old/new town are both beautiful areas to explore. However, if you prefer to stay outside of the hustle and bustle of the city then we suggest checking out this blog for a more detailed description of other areas in Prague.

Although there were many hostel opportunities, we chose Airbnb in a private room of a 6 bedroom apartment. The house was basically a student frat house and was within a 10-minute walk to the centre of Prague.

What to do in Prague

As mentioned, Prague is a very walkable city especially if you stay close to the old/new town areas.

Our days in Prague consisted of visiting/doing the following:

Walking tour with Sandemans. Walking tours are always a great way to see a city but be warned, this tour, in particular, was very history rich and had much less walking. The tour went for almost 4 hours so it takes up a good chunk of your day.

Wenceslas Square – Although it’s called a square, it’s actually a long rectangle street. It runs down the middle of Prague and has tons of restaurants, markets, cafes, bars and shopping. For more shopping, the Palladium shopping mall is a close walk by and has over 120 stores inside.

Absintherie – Stop in for an Absinth cocktail and watch the bartender make a legit Absinth drink.

Prague Pub crawl – Prague’s pub-crawl is one of the most popular in all of Europe. We really enjoyed this one, taking us to 3 bars and then the famous 5 story club. There were 150+ punters on the crawl but it was all very well run, good bar choices + it included a free hour of drinking to begin the night.

Charles Bridge – A cobblestone bridge lined with all different statues. A walk over this bridge will take you to the famous Prague Castle.

Prague Castle – Prague’s number 1 tourist attraction. The Prague Castle is a huge complex of buildings connected by internal courtyards. To learn the detailed history of the castle, take another free walking tour around and in the Castle. Inside the castle grounds, you can visit St Vitus Cathedral, St Georges Basilica, The Royal Palace, The Powder Tower and the Golden Lane.

John Lennon Wall – The John Lennon wall is located a short walk from the Prague Castle. The wall was painted on after the tragic death of John Lennon and is filled with graffiti, paint, drawings and Beatles song lyrics. Police have repainted the wall numerous times but each time the wall is repainted with Lennon inspired art and words, and they have finally have given up repainting it.

Old Town Square – The second most visited attraction by tourists in Prague. Here you will see the famous Astronomical clock.

Astronomical Clock – It is the oldest working astronomical clock in the world. Many restaurants (tourist traps) line the square along with food markets and in the evening a range of different performers will put on a show.

Petrin Hill – Petrin Hill offers stunning views over the city, large grassy areas, a mini Eiffel Tower and a mirror maze. The mirror maze was somewhat entertaining, however, the cost to enter (€6) wasn’t worth it. Many Segway and bike tours will bring you to Petrin Hill but it is also accessible via walking or by taking the funicular (cable car).

Zizkov – Zizkov is one of Prague’s oldest neighbourhoods. Today the neighbourhood is filled with artists, students and musicians, which is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the Old Town. More than 300 bars make up the neighbourhood in the 2 square miles, which is actually the highest per capita concentration of bars in any district of Europe. Whilst walking around the area we ate dinner at U Basnika Panve which is recommended.

Food in Prague

Ahh, our favourite thing to do! Eat! It is such a battle picking and choosing what to eat, and at what cost. Setting ourselves a daily budget for food, and sticking to it, is much easier in some countries. It’s fortunate that places like Hungary and Prague have many street food options! Believe or not we had one of our favourite meals (chicken schnitzel) in Prague at a fast food stall!

Recommended restaurants in Prague:

The Chocolate Story – Wowza! Any sweet-tooths MUST make a pit stop in here. A huge range of delicious chocolates + create your own ice creams.

Cesky Krumlov

Cesky Krumlov is an 18th-century medieval town 180km (3hrs) south of Prague. It is the second most visited city, second to Prague. The population here is only 13,000 however they receive close to 2 million tourists per year, mainly during the summer months.

The city is full of 18th-century buildings & features a very old castle. There are only a few vehicles that have licenses to drive through the town, the rest is seen by foot. After visiting the city, we could see why it has been listed as a UNESCO world heritage site – it’s very charming!

Getting to Cesky Krumlov

Some people opt to spend a few days here and whilst we would have loved to do this, our schedule didn’t allow it, however taking a day trip was still very worth it and very easy. From Prague, hop on a direct bus with the company Student Agency and before you say “but I’m not a student”? Student Agency isn’t only a bus company for students so why the name? Well, we are aren’t sure, but we do know it was a very comfortable bus with free hot chocolate, coffee, newspapers and Wi-Fi. The trip will cost €15.10 return and is a 3-hour journey there and back. It’s a long day but definitely worth it.

In the town

To get acquainted with the small town and to learn the history of the town, we took a tour with Wiseman’s free walking tours. Our guide was very entertaining and we learnt many different stories, tales, myths & truths about the town.

The castle is the most popular attraction in the town which offers a spectacular view of the town, a large garden and a unique, rotating theatre which offers daily shows during the summer months.

If you head to Cesky Krumlov, grab a meal at Papas Living Restaurant, sit outside on the terrace while overlooking the river. You’ll receive huge portions with decent prices, as well as local beers.

Moving on to the next country… Germany! We can’t wait for an overdose of schnitzels & bratwursts and of course Oktoberfest!